Because this is the final craft beer review for October, I found it fitting to review the seasonal addition from one of the most respected and loved craft breweries on the east coast – and arguably, the country. Sporting the traditional blue and white diamond check, with a metallic finish, this bottle subtly backs up the already iconic and eye-catching script ‘B’ displayed in the center of all of Brooklyn Brewery’s various products.

Poured out of the bottle, preferably into a large, chilled stein, this beer is a beautiful rust color with radiant highlights of amber and orange. The head is velvety smooth with an off-white color that makes this beer incredibly hard to resist.

The nose of this bottle is very typical for an Oktoberfest beer, high in minerality with subtle notes of toast and red stone fruit, like empire apples. The top notes reflect the nose very strongly. We are visited again by a mineral taste with high acidity to start, along with notes of pears, red apples and toast. The body is incredibly balanced and smooth. The middle notes are very bready, full of medium roasted malt and the slight taste of caramel. The finish is sweeter than the body and transitions into an almost savory after taste with notes of roasted winter squash.

Brooklyn Brewery’s Oktoberfest is a very balanced beer, making its paring capabilities incredibly versatile. It would go great with meats and vegetables cooked over an open flame, particularly charcoal or wood fire grilling. Its subtle toasty notes would be a beautiful compliment to the roasted notes imparted by the open flame. This beer would also be great with sharp cheeses and pickles, or basically any salty bar food. It also has sweet paring applications: again any salty or nutty snacks would be excellent, as would any desert that accents sweet winter squash or fall stone fruits, such as pears and apples. A toasted marshmallow topped sweet potato pie would be a fine pairing with this beer after dinner as well.

This beer is simultaneously complex and balanced overall, making it drinkable for a very large audience. Brooklyn’s Oktoberfest has little dashes of acidity, sweetness, spice and warmth, all without one aspect dominating the others. With the alcohol by volume at 5.5% this beer is sure to sit well with anyone who enjoys a good ale.

This beer is available locally in six or 12 packs at both Price Chopper and Storrs Wine and Spirits in Storrs Center, while supplies last. The six pack will typically run you about $10 and the 12 pack will typically go for something closer to $18.